The 13th Floor Elevators were one of the pioneering bands of American psychedelic rock, and their small but visionary body of work has won them a devoted following, but they've had a hard time earning the respect and historical notice they've deserved. There are many reasons for this, but the often-shoddy treatment of their recorded legacy doubtless has a great deal to do with it…
The Psychedelic Sounds of… is the Elevators’ ground-breaking debut from 1966 and lays claim to being the first psychedelic rock album—and is certainly the first to use the word 'psychedelic'. Known for founder Tommy Hall’s use of the electric jug and Roky Erickson’s emotive singing of Hall’s poetic lyrics. This edition of The Psychedelic Sounds of… features the mono mix on picture disc vinyl using the original cover artwork, which was recently chosen by the UK’s National Album Day as one of the best 70 album sleeves of all time, and best sleeve from 1966. 2019 Record Store Day exclusive. Limited to 1000 copies.
A spotty but basically worthwhile three-disc set, Collectables' 1966-1967 Unreleased Masters Collection scours the International Artists vault for previously unreleased songs, alternate takes, rehearsals, and demos of songs that appeared on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators and Easter Everywhere, and a couple of live cuts for good measure…
This collection brings together tracks from the Elevators 1966 performances in San Francisco and Houston, plus bonus tracks from Roky’s solo performances in the early ‘70s.
2023 collection from the psych rock icons. Each original source has been referenced to the earliest vinyl pressing and meticulously transferred at 96khz 24-bit resolution. Multitrack tapes of the original recording sessions have been newly mixed in strict accordance with the records as first released.
Since Charly Records began working with the catalog of the fabled Texas label International Artists Records, they've released a steady stream of material by Lone Star psychedelic pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators, beginning with the definitive 2009 box set Sign of the 3 Eyed Men. But while Charly's releases have been beautifully assembled and annotated, they've also been created with serious fans in mind, rather than someone looking for the band's basic oeuvre. While a four-disc box set might seem a bit much for someone who just wants the basics, The Albums Collection is a thorough but elegant collection that delivers the Elevators' essential repertoire in one package…
The ultimate compendium of a half century of the best music, now revised and updated. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a highly readable list of the best, the most important, and the most influential pop albums from 1955 through today. Carefully selected by a team of international critics and some of the best-known music reviewers and commentators, each album is a groundbreaking work seminal to the understanding and appreciation of music from the 1950s to the present. Included with each entry are production details and credits as well as reproductions of original album cover art. Perhaps most important of all, each album featured comes with an authoritative description of its importance and influence.
It's not unusual for a small independent record company to be defined by its first major success, and that was certainly the case for the maverick Texas label International Artists. IA began life in 1965 as a fairly ordinary regional outfit releasing pop/rock stuff, but when they scored a nationwide hit with the 13th Floor Elevators' proto-psychedelic anthem "You're Gonna Miss Me," the label's de facto A&R chief, Lelan Rogers, dove headfirst into Texas acid culture and IA became a home for consciousness-expanded acts such as the Golden Dawn, the Bubble Puppy, Endle St. Cloud, and the truly crazed Red Crayola. Never Ever Land is a three-CD set designed to give a reasonably comprehensive picture of International Artists' strange and memorable five-year lifespan.
First ever posthumous tribute to the psychedelic rock luminary and pioneer, featuring all-new recordings by Lucinda Williams, Billy F Gibbons, The Black Angels, Margo Price, Mosshart Sexton (Alison Mosshart & Charlie Sexton), Neko Case, Mark Lanegan & Lynn Castle, Jeff Tweedy, Gary Clark Jr & Eve Monsees, Ty Segall, Chelsea Wolfe, and Brogan Bentley.